Dina Patton

I have been working full time in the High School since August of 2023 as a mathematics teacher to all year groups in the school. I have planned innovative and creative mathematics lessons, designed to increase learning development and math knowledge. I have been their primary teacher for the year, assessing them at the end of every term as well as periodically in class. I have stayed up to date on the latest curriculum changes in mathematics by attending teacher training and researching. I have established and maintained open lines of communication with students and parents to build trust and engagement. I have attended all parent teacher meetings to ensure that all parties are on the same page. I have planned, created and set assignments

During my first year teaching in The High School, I was lucky to be able to offer mathematics grinds to a number of students in their final year of the leaving Certificate as well as students in fifth year. I was able to offer support in both higher level and ordinary level. In my final year of college e I was also lucky enough to be able to offer grinds in mathematics to three different pupils in both first year and third year. This enabled me to work more closely with students from different year groups and see areas where students may struggle with. I feel that this helped me to see areas where I could improve in my own teaching. I found this very rewarding as I was able to first hand see when the students were improving and achieving in the subject.

In my final year of college, in my first semester I completed a fourteen week block placement from the beginning of the school term in August until the Christmas holidays in December. I completed this placement in Finn Valley College, Stranorlar, County Donegal. During the course of this placement I was able to work in a more hands on environment, being able to closely with the Post primary Mathematics curriculum from the perspective of a full time teacher, which proved very beneficial to my studies. I was able to enhance my confidence in the classroom and see the importance of preparation and punctuation and how often self reflection can benefit in this role. I was able to plan, create and set assignments each week following course curriculum requirements and student learning needs. I was also able to partake in two separate parent, teacher meetings, which I think will have given me more an insight into the teaching role outside the classroom.

During my third year of college, a component of the course was to complete teaching practice for two hours a week in a Post-Primary school. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work in Coláiste Éinde in which I taught a first and second year honours class and I also worked in learning resource. This placement taught me a lot about how students view mathematics. I was able to also spend time as a substitute teacher working with different classes and levels within the school. This made me more aware of the different mathematics and speeds of different classes. I also found this very beneficial when subbing for a subject that was not mathematics, this enabled me to work on my classroom management skills.